NHS Change Day

The NHS is currently going through turbulent times however, regardless of the reforms and current financial pressures, it remains the case that much practice, clinical or managerial, is not optimal. Whether it be following national guidance, communicating with patients or providing education and training small changes to current practice could have large impacts on patient outcomes and staff engagement. A generation of junior doctors have consistently noticed this but often are not seen as credible in promoting change or do not have the time, due to short rotations, to adequately take the initiative.

It is from a group of these doctors that NHS Change Day was realised. Initially proposed as a junior doctor led promotion of quality improvement action to occur simultaneously on one day; it is now a call to collective action for any NHS employee to pledge to do one or more things that aid patients or their colleagues.

Pledges can be as simple as spending time with patients to ask for their feedback altering the way a routine task is carried out or supporting campaigns such as Drink Matters or the Sepsis Six. The aim is others will pledge their support as well. Although these actions could, and should, be taking place everyday, NHS Change Day will act as a unifying opportunity for groups to overcome potential bureaucracies and inertias.

The day is 13 March 2013. It will be the single largest improvement event in the NHS to date. The goal is to mobilise 65,000 NHS staff - 1,000 for each year since the NHS was first established - to take action voluntarily to demonstrate their commitment to improving patient care and create a movement which could lead to futher NHS Change Days.